Lamp container



y 1961 H. AMATEL ETAL 2,983,372

LAMP CONTAINER Filed March 6. 1958 2 s t .s

I III ..L a INVENTORS Q. I 170978040 fiM/ITQ and 29 STU/9B7 F. saw 080.

May 9, 1961 Filed March 6, 1958 IZ V H. AMATEL ET AL LAMP CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS /azozp HM/ITEz "I r 2,983,372 Patented May 9,1961

LAMP CONTAINER Harold Amatel, Verona, and Stuart P. Sanford, West Orange, N.J., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 719,577 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) for convenient withdrawal and replacement, if desired,

by the purchaser.

To facilitate the shipment and merchandising of certain types of articles which are usually purchased in groups rather than singly, such as photoflash lamps for example, it has become the practice to combine a predetermined number of such articles in a single package and thus provide an aggregative unit or so called pack. Heretofore, this objective was achieved in the lamp packaging art by inserting the desired number of lamps into a suitably apertured platform adapted to hold the lamps in planar base-to-base relation which assembly was then slipped into a sleeve or outside wrapper of suitable material to provide a rectangular multi-lamp pack of convenient size. Removal of the lamps couldonly be effected by withdrawing the lamp-platform assembly from the outer sleeve, pulling the desired number of lamps from the platform and then reinserting the remaining platformed lamps into the sleeve. While this manner of packaging provided adequate protection and efi'fected the desired integration of the articles, so to speak, the time and inconvenience involved in extracting the articles was objectionable, especially in those instances where it was desirable that the articles be made available for use as rapidly as possible, as in the case of photofiash lamps. Another disadvantage of the prior art packaging arrangement was that the articles could not be conveniently reinserted into the container thereby discouraging its dual use as a depository forffired photofiash lamps or the like.

It is accordingly the general object of the present invention to provide an improved container for packaging a plurality of articles.

Another object of the invention is to obviate the foregoing deficiencies of the prior art packs by providing a container which will not only compactly unitize a plurality of articles but facilitate their removal and replacement by the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a multilamp package which may be very simply and conveniently conditioned to render the lamps readily dispensible.

The aforesaid objects, and others which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by assembled and loaded to provide the improved multi-lamp pack of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l but shows the package broken open and retroflexed along its longitudinal axis to facilitate the removal of lamps and their subsequent replacement according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lamp pack shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the loaded lamps being shown in dotted outline to illustrate the manner in which the basal end portions thereof are interlocked one with another along the line of cleavage when the pack is in its as shipped planar condition;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the lamp pack along the line lV-IV of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows; 1

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 but shows the package broken and retroflexed as in Fig. 2, the two sections of the package being here shown firmly pressed one against the other;

' tudinally from said bottom wall.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the lamp package along the line VI-Vl of Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrows; and

'Fig. 7 is a plan view on a reduced scale of a unitary blank from which the container according to this form of the invention may be fabricated, the bottom wall panel being shortened for purposes of illustration;

While the invention may be advantageously employed to compactly unitize and then readily dispense any group of articles suited to this type of handling and merchandizing, it is especially adapted for use in conjunction withphotofiash lamps or the like and has, accordingly, been so illustrated and will be so described.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, in Fig. 1 there is shown a multi-lamp package or pac incorporating one form of container for unitizing a predetermined number of photoflash lamps or similar articles according to this invention. For convenience of reference, the parts of the container will be referred toas they appear in Figs. 1 and 2. The container as here illustrated consists generally of a top wall 12, side walls 14, end walls 18 and a bottom wall 20 contoured and disposed to provide a generally rectangular enclosure of proper depth, width and length to snugly accommodate two rows of miniature or so-called M2 type photofiash lamps 30 arranged in planar base-to-base interlocking relation, as shown more particularly in Figs. 3, 4 and 6;

The container may be conveniently fabricated from .a

single piece of relatively stiif sheet material, such as paperboard or the like, that has been cut and scored to provide a blank 10 of the character illustrated in Fig. 7.

As indicated in the drawing, the packing material is di-' 'vided by a series of transverse and parallel spaced score lines 15 into a plurality of generally rectangular sections or panels comprising, in the order of their appearance and from the aspect of their ultimate function, an end wall 18, a main panel the central portion of which constitutes the top wall 12' and the side portions whereof are divided by means of longitudinal score lines 11 and 13 into side walls 14 and well-known spear locks 16 respectively, an end wall 18, a laterally depending bottom wall 20, and connecting tabs 22 which extend longi- Thus, the side walls 14 are integral with the top wall 12 and inconjunction A better understanding of the invention may be ob- V with the spear locks 16 constitute movable flap means for closing the sides of the container. the art, the end walls 18 may be provided with flaps 21 i adapted when 'folded inwardly into planar relation with the side edges of the container to interlock with the spear locks 16 and thus permanently anchor the aforesaid flap means in enclosing relation with the bulbous end portions of the lamps 30.

As shown in Fig. 7, the top wall 12 is weakened longi- As is known in assasvc tudinally along its center line by means of an interrupted cut line 25 which traverses said top wall in zigzag fashion to provide, when the blank is ruptured therealong, a multiplicity of interlocking tabs 26. The aforesaid weakened area of the blank is coaxially aligned and contiguous with a pair of cut lines 19 which bisect the endv walls 18 and in conjunction with asimilarly oriented longitudinal score line 21 provided in the bottom wall 20 permits the assembled carton or container to be broken or separated longitudinally into two substantially equal sections and then retroflexed along the aforementioned score line 21, in the manner illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5.

A plurality of aligned and uniformly spaced tabular elements 28 are struck from medial portions of each half of the top wall 12 and hingedly connected thereto by means of transverse score lines 29 to provide two rows of resiliently depressible partitioning members disposed longitudinally of the container. As shown most clear y in Figs. 3, 6 and 7, the score lines 29 in one half of the top wall 12 are staggered in relation to the score lines in the other half of the top wall and are on opposite sides of the tabular elements 28. Hence, when said ele ments are depressed inwardly into their position of use, as illustrated in Fig. 6, they divide each half section of the container into a plurality of article-receiving compartments disposed transverse and preferentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and line of cleavage of the container, the compartments in one section being staggored in relation to those in the other section.

In assembling the container according to this embodiment of the invention, the blank it) is progressively folded along the transverse score lines 15 and the connecting flaps 22 secured to the inner surface of the oppositely-disposed end wall 18 to thus form a sleeve or tubular enclosure open along its sides and collapsible for bulk shipment from the supplier to the user. Upon loading, the sleeve is first distended or set-up into tubular formation and the tabular elements 28 depressed into upstanding staggered relation therein, as shown in Fig. 6. The lamps 34} are then inserted into the resultant compartments from opposite sides of the sleeve into planar base-to-base interlocking relation and the side flaps tucked into the sleeve thereby providing a compact rectangular multi-lamp pack as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 6. As shown most particularly in Fig. 6, the tabular elements are so spaced that they maintain the lamps 30 in tightly-packed formation and are interposed between the bulbous glass portions of adjacent lamps within each half of the container thus preventing any rolling movement or direct glass-to-glass contact and minimizing the incidence of breakage during shipment. In addition, the aforesaid tabular elements when depressed inwardly leave a series of openings or windows which serve to attrractively display the packaged lamps and thus enhance the appearance of the finished package from a merchandizing standpoint.

The dominant feature of the multi-lamp pack assembled as above-described in accordance with this inven tion is the facility with which the contents may be conditioned for withdrawal from the container and subsequently replaced therein. This is accomplished by gripping the package along its sides and pressing it upwardly, as viewed in Fig. 1, along its longitudinal axis with sufficient force to cause the package to split or break into two substantially equal sections along the line of cleavage defined by the interrupted out line 25 and the cut lines 19, which sections may then be retroflexed along the score line 21 in the bottom wall in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Thus, the basal end poi-tions of the lamps 30 are exposed and readily grasped thereby enabling the lamps to be very simply and conveniently removed for use, and replaced if desired. Dispensing and replacement of the lamps 30 is even further facilitated by virtueof the face that the basal end portions thereof in- 4 terlockingly overlap along the line of cleavage of the package so that when the latter is broken and folded upon itself in the manner above-described, the base ends of said lamps protrude beyond the main body portions of the container halves (see Figs. 2 to 5).

After the desired number of lamps 30 have been removed, the container may be reclosed and its hinged halves retained in their original coplanar relation by coupling in dovetail fashion the interlocking tabs 26 struck from the marginal edges of the top wall 12 along the line of cleavage of the package.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the objects of the invention have been achieved by providing a multi-lamp package which not only protectively encloses the lamps but permits them to be conveniently withdrawn by the purchaser and, if desired, just as easily reinstated to provide a handy depository for the used articles, as in the case of photofiash lamps for example.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for the purposes of clarity and understanding in accordance with the patent statutes, it will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A package of electric lamps of the type having a constricted basal end portion and a bulbous portion comprising, two rowsof said lamps arranged in a common plane, each row containing a predetermined and equal number of lamps the basal end portions of which are disposed toward and interlocked with the corresponding portions of the lamps in the other 'row along the longitudinal axis of the package, and a rectangular container enclosing said lamps; said container comprising a sleeve dimensioned to snugly accommodate said rows of lamps; said sleeve having medial portions of one of its walls which is coextensive with both rows of lamps hingedly disposed inwardly and interposed between the bulbous portions of the adjacent lamps in each row; said sleeve being cut and scored along the longitudinal axis of said container and the region of interlock between the basal end portions of said rows of lamps thereby to permit said package to be broken longitudinally into two substantially equal sections, each containing one row of lamps, and then retroflexed along the scored portion of said sleeve to expose the constricted basal end portions of said lamps and thus facilitate their removal from and subsequent replacement into said sections; the marginal portions of said sleeve along the line of cleavage being contoured to interlock one with the other and thus provide means for reclosing the container. 2. A package as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electric lamps are photoflash lamps the bulbous portions whereof are aligned with and thus viewable through the openings in the container wall formed by the inturned medial portions thereof.

3. A package comprising two rows of articles arranged in end-interlocking relationship in a common plane, and a container enclosing said rows of articles; said container comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, and a pair of end walls dimensioned to accommodate said rows of articles, said top and end walls being separable and said bottom wall being scored along lines to permit said package to be broken into two sections hingedly connected along the score line in said bottom wall, the line of cleavage of said package and container extending along the region of interlock between said rows of packed articles so that when said package is broken and retroflexed one of said rows of articles will be accommodated and carried by each of the package sections and the ends of the articles previously interlocked will protrude beyond the open side thereof.

4. A package as set forth in claim 3 wherein, said container is formed from an integral cut and scored blank, and the marginal portions of said top wall along the line of cleavage of said package are contoured to interlock one with another and thereby provide means for reclosing said container.

5. A package comprising a plurality of fragile articles arranged in two rows disposed in a common plane with the ends of the articles in one row interlocking with the adjacent ends of the articles in the other row, and a container enclosing said rows of articles comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, and a pair of end walls dimensioned and connected to accommodate said rows of articles only when said rows are interlocked, said top and end walls being separable and said bottom wall being scored along lines to permit said package to be broken into two sections and then retroflexed along the score line in said bottom wall, each of said package sections having a plurality of partitions therein arranged to divide said sections into a plurality of compartments each of which contains a packed article and is disposed transverse to the line of cleavage of said package, means associated with the separable wall segments of said container for locking the package sections together in their original abutting planar relationship and adapted thereby to permit the package to be reclosed, the line of cleavage of said package and container extending along the region References Cited in the file or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,842,205 Russell Jan. 19, 1932 2,318,287 Brolin May 4, 1943 2,561,206 Kaspar July 17, 1951 2,593,689 Mitchell Apr. 22, 1952 2,706,075 Buttery Apr. 12, 1955 2,794,586 Broderick June 4, 1957 OTHER REFERENCES Modern Packaging, February 1957, pages 206-65. Space Saving Bulb Pack, page 91. 

